Heel-building machine.



L. HISHAW.

HEEL BUILDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) mm: 1o 1907. RENEWED JULY 25, 1912. 1,1 1 9,888.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Fig. 3

\A// TNES'SES. 15

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINUS H. SHAW, OFBROGKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HEEL-BUILDING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINUS H. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Heel-Building Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to heel building machines, and its object is to provide animproved machine of this class.

In building heels, it is important that the lifts be positioned in a symmetrical relation before they are secured together by the building nails, since the quality of a heel is primarily dependent upon the accuracy with which the lifts have been assembled in this operation. If any of the lifts composing a heel are not accurately positioned with relation to the remainder there is liability of the edges of some of the lifts being bent over or mutilated by the heel compressor in the subsequent operation of molding the heel, or of the lifts being otherwise distorted by that machine. Furthermore, where the lifts have not been symmetrically assembled there is a considerable tendency of their being shifted relatively by the heel compressor, so that the effect of the paste employed in the building operation to insure a tight oint between the lifts is partially destroyed. These effects may detract seriously from the appearance of a heel, for example by causing checking of the lifts or by causing the edges of individual lifts to have a distorted appearance in the finished heel.

Heel building machines are in use in which a sectional mold, formed to receive a plurality of loosely superposed lifts, is arranged to be successively opened and closed on the edges of the lifts by the operator as the heel is being built up to a predetermined height. While it is possible in the use of these machines to arrange the successively superposed lifts approximately in a symmetrical relation, the accuracy with which the lifts are assembled is subject to considerable variation. The lifts which are used to build a heel are seldom of precisely the size required to give the completed heel the shape of the mold. Variations from predetermined sizes are occasioned not only by Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Renewed July 25, 1912. Serial No. 711,576.

shrinkage but also on account of variations in size of the lift forming dies caused in grinding the dies. Moreover, non-conformity of the lifts to the shape of the mold may be rendered unavoidable by other considerations. Consequently in the prior heel building machines referred to, the pressing surfaces of the mold which have engagement with the edges of the lifts at different parts of a heel do not come in contact with all of thelifts at said parts, so that the position of some of the lifts is not controlled by the mold. Other heel building machines or devices are in use in which a mold, wherein the heel is assembled, is either integrally formed or is composed of stationary parts arranged for adjustment to suit heels of different size or pitch. In such devices there is no relative movement imparted to the members forming the lift-receiving space which will press the lifts into symmetrical relation. The character of the results obtained in the use of these devices is also dependent upon the accuracy with which the lift-engaging members conform, in the case of each heel built, to the surface formed by the edges of the lifts. It is practically impossible that the corresponding lifts of a lot of heels be identical in size and consequently heels produced by the aid of devices of this type are more or less likely to be assembled with the lifts in an unsymmetrical relation. Furthermore where the molds are non-adjust. able, a large number of different sizes and shapes are required, both where they comprise relatively movable sections, and where the parts are stationary.

To the end that heels may be assembled with greater accuracy than has heretofore been possible in the use of prior heel building machines, an important feature of the present invention consists in the PI'OVlSiOll of a heel building mold which is constructed to conform to slight irregularities in the transverse contour of the surface formed by the edges of the lifts, so that the presence of such irregularities does not preclude an accurate arrangement of the lifts in a symmetrical relation. While different arrange ments embodying this feature of the invention may be provided, I prefer to usea mold in which the acting surfaces which are engaged by the sides of a heel are composed of yielding elastic material, and are transversely continuous.

A further feature of the invention consists in a heel building mold formed to engage the sides of a heel throughout substantially the entirelength of the heel, the walls of said mold being longitudinally continuous and flexible so that itsform may be varied to conform to different sizes of heels having approximately a uniform pitch. The mold may thus not only be used for heels varying considerably in size, but also on account of its flexibility a more exact conformity with the shape of the heel being built may be secured than is possible in the use of prior devices. The flexibility of the mold may be conveniently secured by constructing it throughout of yielding elastic material, such as soft, vulcanized rubber.

In building heels, it is important that the lifts be symmetrically arranged both laterally and longitudinally, since the heels are subsequently compressed in. both of these directions by heel compressing machines in use in the art. It is particularly important that the rear end of the heel should be substantially even, since irregularities in the surface formed by the ends of the lifts may interfere with the subsequent trimming operation. It is of more importance that the rear end of the heel be evenly formed in buildingthan the breast end, since, as is well-known, the trimming of the breast end of a heel is easily effected regardless of the transverse contour given the. breast end in building.

To the end that variations in lifts from predetermined lengths may not prevent the surface formed by the rear edges of the lifts from being substantially even, a further feature of the invention consists in the provision of a breast die arranged to form the breast wall of the mold cavity and constructed to conform to irregularities in transverse contour of the surface formed by the breast edges of the lifts. In the ar rangement shown, the breast die is provided with an acting surface formed of yielding,

- elastic material.

WVhile features of the present invention may be embodied in a heel building machine or device in which in use the parts are stationary, I prefer to employ a mold which is adapted to be opened and closed upon the edges of the lifts as the heel is being built to a predetermined height. The arrangement herein shown comprises a form con structed in one continuous piece of soft, vulcanized rubber and shaped to embrace the heel lifts at their sides and curved end. Mechanism is provided having engagement with the sides of the form to move them apart to permit the insertion of a lift and to press them together upon the edges of the lifts contained within the form. The inner or lift-engaging face of the form is of such a transverse contour that it conforms approximately to the pitch of the heel to be assembled. A breast die is arranged for movement longitudinally of theform and is preferably actuated simultaneously with the sides of the form. The breast die herein shown is provided with a liftengaging surface of yielding, elastic material.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate a heel building machine constituting one embodiment of the present invention,Figure 1 is a perspective View of one form of the machine; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the action of the lift-receiving mold upon the edges ;of the lifts; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. l equipped with a movable breast die; Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view showing an alternative arrangement of lift-receiving mold.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a supporting table upon which is arranged a U-shaped form 2 within which the lifts to form a heel are assembled. The form 2 is constructed of soft, vulcanized rubber with its inner face conforming approximately in inclination to the pitch of the heels to be assembled. Each arm of the form 2 is provided with a metal lug 4 se cured thereto, and each lug has formed therein a perforation adapted to receive the end of a lever 6 extending upwardly through a slot in the table 1. Each lever 6 is pivoted at 8 upon the supporting table and is provided at its lower end with a slot 10, the slots in the two levers being arranged at an angle, as will be apparent from Fig.

1. Both slots are entered by a pin 12 carried by a slide 14: which is arranged to be depressed by asuitable treadle and to be raised by a spring 16. The slots 10 in the levers 6 are so arranged that in the clownward movement of the head 14: the levers 6 are moved equally in opposite directions thus moving together the two sides of the form 2.

The bottom of the mold cavity is formed by a plate 18 having a flat, upper surface, a spindle 20 being secured to said plate, said spindle being seated in a rotatable sleeve 22 which is exteriorly threaded and is arranged in a threaded socket formed in the table 1. As will be obvious, this arrangement permits the bottom plate 18'to be vertically adjusted, thus varying the depth of the mold cavit A breast gage 24 is shown in Fig. 1 secured in vertical, adjustable manner to a slide 26 movable in a ho izontal guideway in the bottom plate 18. The breast gage 24 is employed to indicate the height to which it is desired to build the heel being assembled, and, if desired, its supporting slide may be arranged to be freely movable longitudinally of the mold in its guideway, so that in removing an assembled heel from the mold the breast gage may be moved outwardly to facilitate such removal.

In the arrangement shown in F ig. 3, there is provided a slide 28 arranged for movement longitudinally of the mold cavity in a suitable guideway in the plate forming the bottom of the mold. A spring 30 is provided to hold said slide yieldingly to the right in Fig. 3 and a yielding connection 32 is arranged between said slide 28 and a convenient portion of the treadle operated slide 14. It will. be seen that with this arrangement when the side walls of the form shown in the drawings are closed together, the slide 28 will be moved inwardly against the resistance of the spring 30. The slide 28 is provided at its outer end with yielding, elastic material 34 arranged to form the acting part of the breast die.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a form 2 arranged in a position inverted from that shown in Figs. 1,, 2 and 3. The mechanism shownin Fig. 1 is so arranged that the form 2 may be inverted without change in construction of the parts illustrated.

In the use of the devices shown, more particularly those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, a

series of lifts of suitable sizes to form a heel of a desired pitch and height are successively placed within the mold cavity from above, and at the same time are given an application of paste so that their contacting surfaces may be thereby closely united. Themold is contracted from time to time, or as each lift is introduced, and the lifts are thereby shifted into symmetrical relation. After the heel has been built to a desired height and while the lifts are held in assembled positionby the mold, one or more heel building nails are driven by the operator through the lifts to secure them together and the mold is thereafter opened and the assembled heel removed. In contracting the mold, the sides of the yielding form 2 are brought into pressing engagement with the sides of the heel. It will be observed that since the lifts are engaged by i the form upon bothsides of the heel the yielding, elastic surfaces of said form press i the lifts into symmetrical lateral relation, any irregularities in width of the lifts being equally divided between the two sides of the heel. As will be apparent from Fig. 2, the lateral positioning effect exerted upon the lifts is considerably greater than is the case where the surfaces engaging the edges of the lifts are incapable of conforming to the contour of the surface presented by said edges. Furthermore the fact that the 11ftengaging surface.of the form is transversely continuous and capable of independent yielding movement at different points in its width permits said surface to conform more closely to the assembled heel than is possible in the use of prior devices in which a plurality of superposed metal sections of predetermined width are arranged for adjustment laterally of the mold cavity to accommodate heels of dilfercnt contours. In such prior devices, the degree of accuracy with which the form conforms to the heel is necessarily affected by variations in thickness of the lifts. In the use of the present device it is immaterial whether or not the lifts of a heel have predetermined thicknesses. It will be seen also that the sides of the form 2 have engagement with the lifts over substantially the entire length of the heel. This is of advantage in tending to increase the positioning effect of the form upon the lifts, since the greater the extent of engagement longitudinally of the heel the more accurately the position of each lift is controlled. This feature is particularly advantageous where pieced lifts are used in building the heel, since the positions of the different pieces or sections of a lift may thus be accurately controlled.

On account of the flexibility of the form 2, different sizes of heels having a uniform pitch may be built therein. As the sides of i the form are moved together, they are bent longitudinally to conform to the heel being built. Moreover, on account of the material of which the form is composed, the lift-engaging surfaces may be easily altered in pitch or in other respects by cutting away portions of the form.

It will be seen from Fig. l: that as the form is contracted there may be a tendency to move the rear end away from the lifts, and that when the form is opened said rear end may be moved in the reverse direction or toward the breast end of the mold cavity. The use of a breast die arranged for movement longitudinally of the mold cavity simultaneously with the movement imparted to the sides of the form is desirable to counteract any longitudinal movement which may be imparted to the rear end of the forin'in the relative movement of the sides of said form. Where a breast die is arranged for movement toward the rear of the mold cavity simultaneously with the approaching movement of the sides of the form, the lifts are pressed longitudinally of the mold into close engagement with the rear of the form. By constructing the breast die to conform to irregularities in transverse contour of the breast edge of the heel, any irregularities inlength of the lifts are divided between the breast and the rear of the assembled heel. \Vhile I have shown herein the yielding breast die combinedwith a yielding, elastic member constituting the rear end of the mold cavity, it will be understood that it would be within the present invention to use a breast die constructed to conform to irregularities in contour of the breast of a heel in connection with a rear form or gage constructed of unyielding material. In such case, substantially all irregularities in lengths of the lifts would show themselves at the breast of an assembled heel, while the rear end would be sub stantially even.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the form shown in Fig. 1 is inverted. hen used in this way the lifts are inserted from the front of the mold and consequently'the breast end of the mold cavity is left open and unobstructed. It will be seen that when used in this way the heel is assembled with its heel seat lift at the bottom and its outer lift at the top. This mode of building a heel may be desirable where the body of the heel is formed ofa number of lifts of uniform thickness, of some material less expensive than leather, and the heel is evened or brought to a predetermined height by the addition of an outer lift of leather. This arrangement of mold is also advantageous in that when the sides of a form having a considerable inclination are contracted, the lifts are pressed against the bottom of the mold cavity.

The use of a support forming the bottom of the mold cavity arranged for vertical. adjustment may be desirable in that the depth of the mold cavity may be thus conveniently varied. This arrangement may render unnecessary the use of a breast gage such as is shown in Fig. 1, since the upper surface of the form 2 may be employed for this purpose. Thisfeature may also afford a greater range-in size of heels assembled in any particular form, since by raising the bottom of the mold the size of that part of the cavity in which the heel is assembled may be enlarged.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A heel building machine having in W combination, a form constructed in one continuous piece of yielding flexible material and arranged to embrace a heel at its sides and curved end, said form being uniformly constrictive and freely movable at its curved end, and means for moving relatively the sides of the form to press them against the edges of heel lifts arranged in said form.

2. A heel building machine having in combination a mold arranged normally in an open condition having lift-engaging surfaces of flexible elastic material arranged to have contact with the surface formed by the edges of the lifts, means to hold against longitudinal displacement the portions of said mold adjacent to the breast of the heel,

leaving the rear portion of said mold freely movable and uniformly constrictive; and means for contracting the mold to bring said lift-engaging surfaces into yielding engagement with the lifts.

3. A heel building machine, having in combination, a U-shaped mold having flexible side walls, said mold being provided with lift-engaging surfaces of yielding elastic material and means for contracting the mold laterally including members detachably connected to opposite sides of the mold at points in proximity to its breast corners.

4. A heel building .machine having in combination, a form constructed in one continuous piece of yielding elastic material and arranged to embrace a heel at its sides and curved end, means for moving relatively the sides of the form to press them against the edges of the heel lifts arranged therein, and yielding means for pressing the lifts longitudinally of the form into engagement with the rear wall of said form.

5. A heel building machine having in combination a fiat support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a form constructed in one continuous piece of yielding elastic material arranged to embrace a heel at its sides and curved end and mountedupon said support with its rear end arranged for free longitudinal movement, and means for moving rela tively the sides of the form to press them against the opposite sides of the heel sustained by said support.

A heel building machine having in combination a substantially U-shaped rubber form constructed to embrace a heel at its sides and curved end, means for moving apart the sides of the form to permit the insertion of a lift, and means for moving said sides into pressing engagement with the edges of the lifts 7. A heel building. machine, having in combination, a form comprising a continuous piece of yielding elastic material, constructed to be flexible throughout its entire length and arranged to embrace a heel at its side and curved end and means for contracting said form.

8. A heel building machine, having in combination, a form comprising a piece of yielding elastic material arranged to embrace a heel at its sides and curved end and means for closing the sides of the form including members connected to said sides at points adjacent the breast ends of the form and arranged for simultaneous movement in opposite directions.

9. A heel building machine, having in combination, a support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a flexible U-shaped form. having lift-engagingsurfaces of yielding elastic material mounted upon the support with its rounded end arranged for free longitudinal movement and means for mov- 1* ing relatively the sides of the form to press them against the opposite sides of lifts sustained upon the s pport within the form.

10. A heel building machine, having in combination, a support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a flexible U-shaped form for engaging a heel at its sides and. curved end mounted upon the support with its rounded end arranged for free longitudinal movement and means for moving relatively the sides ofthe form to press them against the opposite sides of lifts sustained by the support.

11. A heel building machine, having in combination, a flat support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a U-shaped form for engaging the lifts at their sides and curved ends having flexible, uniformly constrictive side walls and means for moving relatively the sides of the form to press them against the opposite sides of lifts sustained upon the support.

12. A heel building machine, having in combination, a flat support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a flexible U-shaped form resting upon the support and movable relatively thereto and means for contracting the form laterally by pressure applied to opposite sides of the form in proximity to its breast corners to shift relatively the lifts into symmetrical lateral relation.

13. A heel building machine, having in combination, a support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a flexible U-shaped form for engaging a heel at its sides and curved end, the rear end of said form being arranged for free longitudinal movement, means for moving relatively the sides of the form to press them against the opposite sides of the heel and a breast die arranged for movement longitudinal of the form for pressing the lifts into engagement with the rear wall of said form.

14. A heel building machine, having in combination, a support for a plurality of superposed lifts, a constrictive U-shaped form for engaging a heel at its sides and curved end, the rear end of said form being arranged for free longitudinal movement, means for contracting the form by pressure applied to said form upon opposite sides adjacent to the breast of the heel and a breast die arranged for movement longitudinal of the form for pressing the lifts into engagement With the rear wall of said form.

15. Lift positioning mechanism for heel building machines, comprising a loop of resilient material, means to support said loop with its ends held against longitudinal displacement and its bight in position for uniformly constrictive action upon lifts of different sizes or shapes, and means to force said lifts and loop into engagement.

16. In a heel building machine, a heel building form having in combination a movable portion for engaging the sides and rear of the heel to form the latter, a plate upon which heel lifts may be assembled, and a yielding breast gage or die arranged for cooperation with said rear portion to form the heel, the breast gage and the rear portion of the form being normally so separated as to provide a sullicient space to permit the lifts to be introduced freely into the form during the assembling operation.

17. A heel building form having a yielding rear portion constructed to engage the curved ends of the heel lifts, a yielding gage arranged for engagement with the breast ends of the heel lifts, the breast gage and the rear portion of the form being normally so separated as to provide a SlllfiClGIllJ space to permit the lifts to be introduced freely into the form during the assembling opera-. tion, and means for effecting relative ap' preaching movement between said rear end and breast age in a direction longitudinal of the Hits to form the heel.

18. A heel building form having a yielding rear portion constructed to engage the curved ends of the heel lifts, a breast gage yieldable longitudinally of the form, the breast gage and the rear portion of the form being normally so separated as to provide a suflieient space to permit the lifts to be introduced freely into the form during the assembling operation, and means for effecting relative approaching movement between said rear end and breast gage in a direction longitudinal of the lifts to form the heel.

19. In a heel building machine, a heel building form having, 1n combination, a

horizontally movable portion for engaging the sides and rear of a heel to form the latter, a plate or support upon which heel lifts may be assembled, an upright breast gage mounted to yield bodily longitudinally of the form and normally so separated from said movable portion-as to provide sufficient space to permit the lifts to be introduced freely into the form during the assembling operation, and means for ellectinga relative approaching movement of the sa1d movable portion and the breast gage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNARD Bannows, H. DORSEY SPENCER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

